BY MICHAEL BRESLIN
Recent research has shown that 43 per cent of primary school children and 29 per cent of post-primary pupils perceive that they have been bullied at least once. And, according to one second-level school pastoral care head, bullying has moved on from name-calling to nasty messages left on the victims' mobile phones and Bebo.
Tell-tale signs to look out for can range from a child not wanting to go to school, not eating and having their money taken by a bully. This week is Anti-Bullying Week.
The Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF) defines bullying as the repeated use of power by one or more persons intentionally to hurt, harm or adversely affect the rights and needs of another or others.
Its spokesperson explained: "School bullying can have serious consequences for children, leading to academic underachievement, physical and emotional distress, loss of self-esteem, eating disorders and truancy."
The Education and Libraries (NI) Order 2003 requires all grant maintained schools to have an anti-bullying policy.
A spokeswoman for the Western Education and Library Board said its document sets out the support for schools and, in particular, children and young people within its area. It provides guidelines for schools and those working in other areas.
The Board's policy aims to meet the requirements and the guiding principles of the relevant legislation.
The spokesperson for the Anti-Bullying Forum said there were many reasons why people bully others: "But, something different about a person is usually the targeted reason and, ultimately, the person bullying is enjoying the power and control they are gaining through displaying this bullying behaviour.
"Active participation is key to ending bullying. One of the most important starting points for schools is to define bullying together with the pupils and their parents.'
The spokesperson explained that the word, 'bullying' is used in different ways: "What one person considers bullying is not necessarily what another person thinks. We consulted 641 primary aged children and the top three most popular words used were those describing feelings, with name-calling being at the top of the list."
But, the designated teacher at one second-level school in Fermanagh told the 'Herald' that things had moved on considerably from traditional forms of bullying.
"The bigger issue now is the whole approach to cyber bullying, where the victims get nasty text messages or they have their photograph taken and it's put on Bebo for everyone to see. Yes, you do get some name calling, teasing and taunting, but you get kids going on to chatrooms where you don't really know who you're talking to."
She welcomed the Board's policy guidelines which set out for pupils, teaches and parents what's acceptable and what's not acceptable.
"If, then, a pupil is being bullied or if they suspect that someone is being bullied, they are encouraged in this school to report that. Their first port of call can be either their class or form teacher, or anybody in the school they're comfortable speaking to.
She said there while there was real no one way of dealing with bullying, in her school there operated a 'no blame' approach where all the students were urged to accept responsibility: "A student(s) will tell us of an incident, we find out who is involved and they come in and share responsibility."
The Principal of another second-level school in the county said the school saw its anti-bullying measures as firmly set in the context of 'our wider aim of promoting positive and healthy relationships within the whole school community'.
For instance, Year 13 pupils are given the opportunity to train as peer mentors. They are then on hand at break and lunchtime to talk to pupils and help them find the support they need to resolve any issues.
"The nurturing of self-respect and respect for others is vitally important in enabling our young people to enjoy their time in the school community as well as in preparing them to play as full a role as possible as responsible and caring citizens in the future.
"We highlight the importance of these positive and healthy relationships in personal development classes where form teachers, working with their form class, explore topics such as friendship, positive thinking, self-assertiveness, self-esteem, resolving conflict and bullying .
